STOKE reserve Joe Alcock is delighted with his form since he returned to the A.R. Richards Potters side from injury.

Alcock scored paid 7 in Saturday’s victory at Loomer Road over Plymouth and paid 10 in the victory at Hi-Edge Raceway over Buxton just over a week ago although the youngster admits he did tire in the home meeting a few hours later.

Alcock commented “While I was off once allowed I put a lot of hours in the gym in order to get fit as quickly as possible to help get myself back to fitness and then I got in a few practice sessions and tried a few different things and they seemed to have worked and I’ve now put them things into meetings and the hard work has paid off. Since I’ve returned I’ve got a little bit more aggression into my racing and as Adam Isherwood has commented I seem more relaxed and I’m having a laugh in the pits and things have just started to come together and I’m feeling a lot more relaxed on the bike now.

Due to the injury I lost my place but being out made me realise just how much I want to ride for Stoke and to ride speedway and maybe it has taken that bit of a knock to show me the right direction. Before I had the injury, I kept myself to myself and just got on with things, now I’ve come back I’m more relaxed and enjoying it in the pits and out there on the track and it’s made me hungrier. I used to find it hard to get the motivation to get into the gym, but due to it being a collarbone injury and the second time this year I had done my left collarbone I had to do it and it gave me the motivation to want to get into the gym and regain fitness as quickly as possible and battle my way through, and seeing Tai Woffinden win his third World title made me realise yeah that can be me in the future and that’s where I want to be in a few years’ time.”